A panel discussion on surface water rights will take place Saturday, April 5, as part of the 137th Annual Cattle Raisers Convention. The panel is scheduled for 1:30 pm at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio.
Dr. Bryan Shaw, chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and Jim Bradbury, one of the state's leading attorney's on water and environmental law, will serve as panelists. Jim Malewitz, energy reporter for the Texas Tribune, will moderate.
"Texas has faced a record drought now for several years, which has created a severe lack of surface water in the state," said Pete Bonds, rancher and TSCRA president. "And while we're short on water, the demand for surface water continues to grow.
"How exactly this will affect landowners' surface water rights and what we should be concerned about for the future of surface water will be some of the questions answered during this in-depth discussion," Bonds continued.
Additionally, two of the state's leading experts on private property laws in Texas will headline a panel on eminent domain, particularly as it pertains to the increased number of oil and gas pipelines in Texas. The panel is scheduled for 2:30 pm, Saturday, April 5, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio.
Zach Brady, partner at Brady & Hamilton law firm in Lubbock, and Tom Zabel, partner at Zabel Freeman law firm in Houston, will serve as panelists. Jim Malewitz, energy reporter for the Texas Tribune will serve as the moderator.
"There's no doubt that as energy development and our state's population continue to grow, we will see more entities looking to condemn private property," said Pete Bonds, rancher and TSCRA president. "Landowners want a fair, transparent, and economical process when dealing with entities that want to condemn their land."
"It's critical for landowners to understand how the eminent domain process works, what rights they have, and what steps they can take to prepare themselves," Bonds continued.
Brady has represented numerous landowners on eminent domain cases throughout the state. Zabel has represented oil and gas and pipeline companies.
The 137th Cattle Raisers Convention will take place from April 4 through April 6. Highlights of the convention include the Cattle Raisers Expo, School for Successful Ranching and educational sessions that focus on a number of issues critical to the Texas cattle industry. For more information visit www.tscra.org/convention
A complete schedule can be found on the TSCRA convention website. TSCRA will continue to update the schedule with additional events.